Zen Lunacy Is American Buddhism

The Buddhist themes in The Dharma Bums reflect the teachings of the Buddha and how the moment these characters realized the ultimate truth of reality, they were stepping on the eightfold path. In studying the development of Buddhism in America, I would directly relate this back to the teaching of Suzuki Roshi and how during this time, he enabled these beat writers to see Buddhism as an experiential process of discovery. As a Zen monk he emphasizes the soto meditation practice and Kerouac reflects that in his writing through the epiphany or sudden enlightenment he reaches at the end of the story --realizing that he cannot "fall of this mountain." Suzuki was teaching the beat about Buddhism and it is obvious to see how his teachings were reflected in the themes of the novel. As Buddhism continues to develop in America I see the Zen Lunacy that these Authors practiced a way for Buddhism to enter into our culture and make us realize what is really important.

For the Beatniks and the development of Buddhism, I see Americans following this same path of running up mountains and finding pleasure in the most insignificant things in life. In America we are so focused on the next moment— what will happen in the future, what has happened in the past and how it affects our lives. The beatniks emphasized the possibility of just living in the present moment. By doing that, we are only experiencing what is known and we are not looking for answers or creating our own stories of the unknown or what may potentially happen. Some scholarship states that the beats were in no way good Buddhist, however, from my observation the fundamental things they did understand and tried to practice is what counts. I would disagree with scholars that say the Beatniks had a misunderstood view of Buddhism, because although their practice was by no means perfect, they were able to do just what the Buddha said, "Don’t believe me because I tell you its true, but believe me because you have experienced it and you know it to be true for yourself."

So what was this Beatnik influence?